


set my soul alight

by mariafuckingcalavera



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Fair Game Week (RWBY), M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:48:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23215786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariafuckingcalavera/pseuds/mariafuckingcalavera
Summary: The reason Qrow Branwen wears a black band around his wrist is to hide the mark of fingers, where his soulmate was destined to touch him for the first time.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen & Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose
Comments: 4
Kudos: 113





	set my soul alight

**Author's Note:**

> day 4 of fairgame week: birds/soulmates! chose a typical au for this one, but this one's kinda rushed, so sorry if it isn't as great! hope you still like it regardless :)

The reason Qrow Branwen wears a black band around his wrist is to hide the mark of fingers, where his soulmate was destined to touch him for the first time.

Throughout your life, your soulmate changes with the tides of your soul, the position of the darkened mark changing from large, steady callused hands of a man to the small, dainty ones of a woman, or vice versa. From darkened marks where fingertips or lips traced patterns on your chest as shocks of electricity shot down your spine to darkened palms, waiting for the handshake that would send sparks flying, that would make the marks burst in the colours of their aura before they flicker and fade.

Your soulmate could change for a multitude of reasons: a change to the very foundations of who you were, to who they were, a change to the way they truly smiled behind closed doors. You could even have multiple in your lifetime or none. 

However, if your soulmate would change if they died, and when they did, you'd know: the skin where your soulmate would have touched would burn with the agony of heartbreak. 

When your soulmate touches you for the first time, you feel the energy of their love humming around the air, static electricity making your hair stand on end. The marks light up in a palette of the shades of their aura, touched with hints of your own before they faded away. 

His first soulmate marks were for Summer. 

He remembered the day they lit up as clear as he could have: a fateful Thursday during his second year of Beacon. They were clearing out Grimm from a local village, her Aura had been low, his had shattered: but she was inches away from death and he'd rather die than be the one to cry over her corpse. When it was down to her life or his, he had made the choice without hesitation.

He awoke to the feeling of electricity crackling in his veins, the darkened spots on his abdomen set alight, pure white light illuminating her face in an angelic glow. Summer had bandaged his wound as they were headed back for Beacon, and both were shocked to see the white glowing spots on his stomach and the red light on her fingertips.

He remembered the feeling of her lips against his that night, saying all the words none of them dared to utter, the words none of them dared to say. He remembered the ten years filled with life and love and colour beyond his imagination. They had ten years of her hands around his waist and her face buried in his shoulder in the mornings when she was half awake and he was making breakfast. Ten years of watching her play with Ruby and Yang in the meadows, always loving, always understanding, always caring.

When the spots on his abdomen blistered and burned, the screams that erupted from his throat were from the grief. 

When new marks formed, he concealed under the black band on his wrist, he concealed his heart from one of warmth and fire and passion by placing the illusion that it was one of stone. He pretended to feel nothing, using alcohol to numb the pain that had settled deep, to treat the pangs to the heart with many different whiskies and a different person warming his bed. Anything to fill the void of loneliness he felt inside, anything to quell the self-hatred rooted so deep, no one was able to uproot it all.

Until Clover.

~~~

Clover didn't have marks throughout his youth. 

He made his peace with it: with his ambition and patriotic nature, with four younger siblings and a mother to provide for and a job that demanded constant danger, he didn't think there was room in his life for a soulmate anyway. Of course, he had wondered what it felt like to have someone touch the soulmate marks: if it really did feel like you were born anew, if the colours really did shine as vibrantly as they seemed to. And of course, like many, he had his fleeting lovers: ones that set his skin on fire until the sun rose, ones from drunken stupors on a night off, ones that stayed longer, but eventually left. He was fine with not having a soulmate, even if he did wonder.

So imagine his surprise when he awoke to find darkened marks on his right hand when he woke up one morning.

A darkened mark that stained the inside of his fingers and his thumb, ending right at the point where his gloves did. He couldn't focus the entire morning, he came into the meeting room a disorganised mess, hiding the marks behind curled fingers. But eventually, the rest of the team found out, and after the endless teasing, they had become accustomed to it, and with time, so did he. It had been ten years ever since that fateful day, after all, and he was just going to let the chips fall where they may: if he didn't find his soulmate, he just didn't.

Until Qrow.

_"Gotta say, I’m still not really used to working with other Huntsmen in the field."_

_"But you were on a team before, weren’t you?" Qrow pauses, then sighs sadly at the memory._

_"Long time ago. I just found working alone tends to be for the best."_

_"Well, I think that’s a shame."_

A slip and a fall and Clover instinctively reaches out to catch him, his hands going for his right wrist and arm, slightly rucking up the black wrist band he wore-

Clover gasped, nearly dropping him. 

Qrow stared in shock at his wrist where it glowed turquoise, shivers running down his spine from where the marks had lit up. The unlucky bird looked up to see the dark red light of his Aura casting Clover's face in a warm, red light that made his heart flutter, his teal eyes gawking at his fingers before he looked up to Qrow, his shock evident on his face. Neither of them knew what to say: millions of words at the edge of their lips, the tips of their tongues filled with endless apologies and confessions and secrets guarded by walls reluctantly built around vulnerable, raw hearts. 

Qrow felt the familiar sparks lighting passionate fires that raged inside him after what seemed like centuries to emptiness and meaningless flickers that couldn't even compare to this flame. He watched the military man disappear in seconds, watching his eyes grow wide with shock and a small smile tugging away at his face, and pity for the man settled in his chest.

_You're too good for me._

Clover had had lovers before, but looking at Qrow now, his heart sang a different symphony than it had sang before with all the others: one that was richer, deeper, one that resonated through his bones and one that sent chills of excitement down his spine. With the knowledge right in front of his face, he expected...well, he didn't know what to expect, but he didn't expect to finally notice the butterflies that have been rampaging in his stomach, he didn't expect to feel the warmth that encased his body in a blanket of safety, warmth, trust. One look at the light on his hand and he knew he wanted to see where this went.

But when he looked up, Qrow's eyes were already apologizing.

"So, soulmates, huh?" Clover tries to break the ice, but Qrow's breath catches in his throat at his tone: kind, reassuring, welcoming. His eyes hold no contempt, no hatred, no resentment, just admiration and a glint to teal eyes ever so innocent.

_You're too good for me, Clover Ebi._

"I'm sorry." He breathes, before he turns around, walking further into the mine. Clover doesn't hesitate, chasing after him, his mind filled with infinite amounts of apologies and pities because out of all the people in this world, this seemingly perfect man with absolutely no flaw whatsoever was stuck with the man with enough bad luck to ruin it all. 

"Sorry for what? I don't understand what you mean." Clover tried to ask, his expression softening as he ran forwards to catch up with Qrow. One look and Qrow knew he was smitten, how could he not fall for those innocent teal eyes, just wanting to make things right?

"Clover, you should just forget this happened, I'm not worth the trouble." Qrow dismissed, and Clover blocked his way, forcing Qrow to meet his eyes.

"Don't you think I get a say in that?" Clover asks, and Qrow sighs, his hands running through his hair.

"Listen, Clover. It isn't you. It's..." He falters, but he lets out a harsh breath, forcing himself to continue.

"My semblance is misfortune. That means anyone that gets near me gets hurt whether they like it or not. I'm not willing to put you in the crosshairs of that and all my issues." Qrow finally admitted, hoping he'd let it go, hoping he got the message, hoping he would back off, hoping he would stop trying to break his own heart.

But he just looked shocked.

"Qrow, my semblance is good fortune." Clover slowly informed, and Qrow's eyebrows raised in surprise. Could it be? Could he finally spend time around someone without the fear of constantly causing them misfortune? Would he be safe from his semblance? For the first time in what felt like centuries, he felt hope resurface in his chest. Enough to make him want to try.

A small smile appears on Clover's face when he sees the self-loathing from Qrow's expression fade.

"Qrow, I know this must be a shock, but if you want to try this out-"

"I do." The words slip out before he can even register them.

And for some reason, Clover's heart sings with glee.


End file.
